For Coloradans, how hard is it to find love in the fittest state?

By Elaine Grant
Jul 28, 2014

Audio: Matchmaker Michele Fields speaks with Ryan Warner

A couple takes in mountain views.

(Photo: iStockphoto)

Denver and Boulder have again been named the nation’s fittest towns. This time the source is Time Books, which has a new book out naming America's healthiest places, according to a variety of criteria. When it comes to how active people are, the Front Range comes out on top: Time says folks in Denver and Boulder take 2,000 steps a day, on average, more than people elsewhere. (For lifelong health, Time recommends Honolulu; the San Francisco Bay area takes the top spot for eating right.)

That Denver and Boulder shine as places to keep fit is hardly a surprise, in this state of hikers, bikers, skiers and triathletes. But the question arises: does this outsized emphasis on athletics create any challenges -- or benefits -- when it comes to finding enduring love? We posed this question on Facebook and received answers ranging from an emphatic yes from a man who says he can't find a woman his age who can keep up with him to a no from a couple who met in the mountains and now spends every weekend there.

That's hardly a comprehensive sampling, so we turned to Michele Fields, who's thought a lot about this. She’s been a matchmaker in Denver for 25 years. She says she has more than 300 marriages to her credit -- and she believes Colorado is unique when it comes to the challenges posed to relationships by all of this healthy outdoor play.